THE SMOKING SECTION Presents:: 10 Lessons Learned From The Movie “PAID IN FULL” On Its 10th Anniversary

Sex, murder and mayhem, romance for the streets. Man, and let the streets tell ya. Paid In Full should’ve been a best seller. Instead, the movie – released 10 years ago today – has grown to become a modern-day classic in its own realm. The brainchild of Dame Dash and the execution of Wood Harris, Mekhi Phifer and Cam’ron – whose roles revolved moderately around the lives of Rich Porter, Alpo and Azie – Paid… was based off the real live war zone which was the Harlem underworld during the crack-cocaine tidal wave of the 1980s.

As with anything in life, especially over time, lessons are to be learned. Ace, Mitch and Rico’s rise, dominance and subsequent fall was a lesson in household economics. Money, power and respect are the keys to life – word to the pre-plastic surgery overall Lil Kim. But it also proved there’s no such thing as enough money, enough power and enough respect whenever greed ranks as the common denominator.

Over the next 10 slides, uncover 10 reasons Paid In Full continues to stand the test of time. And once you’re done, tell a friend to tell a friend. Remember, if the movie preaches nothing else, “Everybody eats.”